Practicum Placements are Win-Win for MSW Students, Agencies

When a motivated student is able to help a family in need, happiness washes over Adriana Monge.

Monge is a social worker at Centro Latino Americano, a multicultural and bilingual agency serving Latino families in Lane County. It is one of the agencies where students in the Pacific University Master of Social Work Program complete practicum placements as part of their studies.

“It’s really exciting to see students come here, because they can practice more of their Spanish, and they can see how to be more in touch with the clients,” Monge said.

Being a practicum site is a win-win for Centro Latino Americano, where full-time staff are supplemented by student interns and students get real-world experience.

“I am happy to invite students to Centro,” Monge said. “We are really happy to have them support us and we can learn together for how to grow our community.”